Today's Video

The Wild Life Of Bonobo

Photograph by -Christian ZieglerNational Geographic

Zoe shares a junglesop fruit with her son Zizu and another youngster, while an adult male waits hopefully for a handout. Food sharing is part of bonobo social politics, reflecting nuances of status and alliances.

A female rests in a day nest at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, established by the Bonobo Conservation Initiative in partnership with the local community and the Congo government. The reserve brings hope of tourism dollars.

Bonobo youngsters such as Zizu, here playing with a sibling, are born black-faced, unlike chimps, which are born with pink faces that gradually darken. Bonobo limbs remain slender as they mature, not so thick and burly as chimps.

Tranquil and protective, Zoe cuddles Zizu after nursing him. Male bonobos, unlike chimps, do not form same-sex coalitions to achieve power; from infancy to adulthood, a boy’s best friend is his mother.

The youngster Ulrich rides his mother, Uma, to the next foraging site. Bonobos spend much of their time on the ground, enjoying exclusive access to plant foods that on the right bank of the Congo are claimed by gorillas.Source: Nature Photo